Protection
by BoundLight
Summary: Castiel forgets he can be harmed. A frustrated Crowley decides to take over. Crowley/Cas
1. Chapter 1

So this morning, this story assulted me. And now it's here. I hope you like it

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Sam and Dean walked down the street with Castiel in tow. The now human angel needed some new clothes, and the brothers needed to pick up a few supplies.

"Gah, Sam, this is taking _forever_ why couldn't we have _driven_?"

"Dean, its _two blocks_. And look! It's a lovely day!"

Just to prove his point two birds burst into song. Dean slouched and grumbled something about the world moving against him.

Sam laughed, and turned to Castiel. He smiled. The former angel was watching the birds, and the sky, and the clouds. He watched the people they walked past, and the children, and the cars. He looked… happy.

Sam was relieved. It was hard enough to deal with _Dean_ when he was in a funk and wouldn't say anything, but Castiel had almost been worse. At least with Dean he knew what to say, and what kind of pie to buy. But with Castiel it seemed every gesture to comfort him just furthered his depression over _needing_ that comfort.

Sam sighed, and wondered when he suddenly gained another brother.

"Sam, seriously. Where the hell is this place?"

"Dean, come on! It's right there!"

"Where?"

Sam rolled his eyes, and pointed. "Right _there_." Suddenly he leapt with a scream as Dean mercilessly tickled him. "Dean!" They fought lightheartedly, for a few steps, before an increase in pedestrian traffic forced them to stop.

Suddenly horns blared and tires screeched. Unconsciously Dean reached for Sam as they whipped around.

"You bastard!"

A very shocked Castiel was safely in the arms of a furious Crowley.

"Do you have any idea what the hell you were doing?"

Slowly Castiel opened his hands; a baby bird blinked wearily at Crowley. "It fell into the street."

"For the love of – a bird? A _bird_?"

Dean nodded at Sam and rushed to move the two further back from the gathering crowd. Sam gave reassurances and a big honest smile to the onlookers, telling them to go on their way. When the last person had moved on, Sam turned back to his friends.

Crowley growled and pushed Castiel roughly against a wall. Dean snarled and grabbed the demon's arm. "You back off!"

Crowley shrugged him off roughly. "Do you have any idea what he –" He turned back to Castiel, crowding his space. "Do you have any idea what you almost did?" He pinched Castile hard, the angel jerked back with a cringe. "Yeah, hurts doesn't it? You have a _mortal _body now, angel! You can't just put it in danger!"

He was met by Castiel's wide blue eyes, his hands unconsciously shielding the bird. Crowley looked down at the creature witheringly. His jaw clicked shut, and he forced himself to take a deep breath. With a final glare he shook his head and turned to the Winchester's. "You two! What were you doing, eh? Just going to let him step out into traffic?"

Sam and Dean's eyes widened. They turned to each other, struggling to find something to say.

Crowley nodded at their silence. He turned back to Castiel and grabbed his wrist roughly. Cas struggled, vainly trying to protect the life he held in his hands. With a drawn out sigh the demon carefully removed the bird and zapped it back to its nest. "Happy?"

Castiel's gaze fell on the nest, and he smiled fondly. The look vanished as the demon tugged him forward, and up the sidewalk. Crowley glanced over his shoulder at the Winchester's. "You coming?"

The brothers quickly caught up with the demon, who still had the angel's wrist trapped in a vice like grip. Dean noticed some of the odd looks they were receiving and leaned in close to Crowley. "Uh, what are you doing?"

Crowley rolled his eyes. "I think that should be obvious."

Sam eyed him critically. "Well it isn't."

The demon glowered at the tall man, and tugged Castiel closer. "Well, it's clear to me that you two blockheads can't keep track of him, so I guess I'll have to."

Castiel glared at Crowley. "I don't need to be kept track of."

Crowley pulled Castiel against him, moving his hand from the angel's wrist to his hand, entwining their fingers. "Yeah? Well I think you do." He grinned brightly at Dean. "So. Where are we heading?"

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Reviews are... like a baby bird that fell into the street. You need to save it. And send it to me. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Big thanks to crOwnlEssG who pointed out that I'd miss spelled Alley, so for those of you who accidentally get an alert again... that's why! Sorry!

Remember folks, Cassi Cas is human in this!

To RogueWhisper, Good point! :D Not done yet I suppose!

To French Toasted Pancake, Thank you, you're a sweetheart.

To iGeek94, Sure thing baby! Hope you like this.

To Megster97, Me too!

To everyone else, I had to stop myself before I wrote to everyone who reviewed, so may I just say, you all rock, and you make my day. Hope you enjoy this.

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The motel room was dark, illuminated only by a few rays of sun light bleeding in from outside.

"This is getting us no where."

"I know, Dean, I know."

"I mean, is there seriously no information on this?"

"No, we'll find something."

Castiel watched them from his perch on the bed, his hands clasped tightly between his thighs to keep them from fidgeting with his jacket. Dean glanced at him over the top of his notes. "Bored, Cas?"

The former angel ducked his head.

Dean hid a grin. "Well, why don't you go for a walk?"

Sam frowned. "Dean."

"What?"

"He can't just go for a walk."

"Why not?"

"Cause he's…" Sam trailed off, and cast Castiel a guilty look before staring at his brother again. "…a little defenseless right now."

"Cas can take care of himself, Sam."

Castiel looked at Dean and saw the traces of a smile on his face. He felt his own answering and found his feet, walking out the door. "Damn it, Dea –" He closed the door.

Castiel didn't pay much attention to where he was going, he simply rejoiced in the peace that came from feeling the sun on his face, and the warmth on his back that reminded him of the sun on his wings. He walked until a chill began to set in, pulling a brief shudder out of his limbs. He finally opened his eyes and noticed the sun going down, casting deep shadows between buildings.

The people who now walked around him watched their feet, frowning at the world, and bumping against him as they passed him. Castiel stopped and watched them, wondering if he should head back to the motel room… but it hadn't felt like he'd spent _any_ time out here, and the wind felt good against his face.

People were beginning to grumble about him blocking the sidewalk, so Castiel nimbly stepped on to the road, carefully looking both ways before jogging across it. There were fewer people on this side as there wasn't a sidewalk, just parking lots and the cracked cement of old driveways. Castiel sighed happily and closed his eyes, trusting his feet to keep him on the right path.

He stopped when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

Castiel opened his eyes and found an older man standing next to a line of motorcycles. Behind him four others watched him carefully. "Where are you off to, pretty boy?"

Castiel looked around him and found the main road had ended a ways back, and now he was on the outskirts of the town, the road illuminated only by the bright neon sign of the bar he stood outside of. He shrugged. "No where."

One of the men laughed. "I love the specificity."

The man holding Castiel's coat grinned. "You look like you could use a drink."

Castiel blinked. "Do I?"

"Yes, indeed." He released his hold on the angel and thrust out a hand. "The boys call me Big Jim." He pointed at the men standing behind him. "This here is David, Nick, Stu and Jeremy."

Castiel took his hand. "I am Castiel."

Nick grinned. "Religious family, eh?"

Castiel hesitated before he nodded.

"Well, we won't hold that against you, will we boys?" David walked forward and wrapped an arm around Castiel's shoulders, leading him inside. The others formed up around them. "But Castiel is an obvious name. Sticks out like a sore thumb. We'll just call you Wings."

"No." Castiel shook his head. "I have lost my wings."

The bikers looked at Castiel curiously. "Yeah. We noticed." Jeremy said.

"First thing we noticed, really." David said. "We saw you walking along in your own little world and we thought, 'Hey. That guy doesn't have wings… wonder if he needs a drink…'" The bikers laughed.

The bar was typical of any Castiel had seen the Winchester's frequent; dimmed lights, shadowed corners, and groups of men and women huddled together and talking quietly while serious men with dangling cigarettes played pool. The majority of the clientele were clearly bikers. They looked at Castiel suspiciously before Big Jim waved them off and directed his group to a clear section at the bar.

Stu leaned up against the bar and winked at a passing waitress. He cast a serious glance at Castiel. "What you drinkin', Wings?"

"I do not have a preference." Castiel stated. Whenever he drank with the Winchester's he drank whatever Dean handed him, and when he was drinking to forget he drank whatever he could swallow. He hadn't actually stopped to figure out the differences in liquor before.

"Alright," Stu said, "ladies choice. Beatrice!" He said, beaconing to the waitress.

She walked over with an easy smile and winked at Castiel. "New here, hunny?"

"This here's Wings, and he says he doesn't have a preference. What do you think?"

Beatrice ran a hand down Castiel's tie. "When in doubt, I go with whiskey."

Stu grinned and turned around, catching the bartender's eye. "Whiskey all around!"

Once they'd all knocked down a few, Jeremy grinned at Castiel. "Alright, Wings, how'd you lose 'em?"

Castiel caught himself before he answered. Dean was always telling him that he scared humans. That he wasn't normal and needed to remember that, he needed to remember that _honesty _wasn't always the best way to go. He thought of what Dean would say here. "It is… a long story."

The bikers nodded, and Castiel was pleased that that was the end of it. Jim shoved another glass into his hand. "Pity. I'm sure they looked great on ya, kid."

While Castiel did not have the normal tolerance his ethereal body typically provided, he was still able to hold his liquor, and he matched the bikers shot for shot. He'd been worried about them at first, but now that they were all getting pleasantly buzzed he found the conversation to be entertaining. They seemed to find everything he said hilarious, taking even greater pleasure in the things he didn't know. Castiel knew Sam and Dean would have been having a good time, and with that in mind he tried to enjoy himself as well.

The bikers seemed to have an endless supply of stories, stories about evading the police, biker rallies, bonfires, and life on the road. Much of it sounded similar to things he'd seen the Winchester's do, and despite himself he felt a surge of warmth at the thought. This group he was with was a family, even though none of them were related. Maybe, _especially _because they weren't related. He thought about it and realized that even though he'd been cast from heaven, he had a family too. He grinned and downed another.

It was almost one in the morning when Castiel had an epiphany. "Jim," he said seriously, "I think I've discovered something."

"Oh yeah, Wings? What's that?"

"Drinking _with _people is _much_ better than drinking alone."

The bikers cheered. The sound quickly took another turn when the bartender announced it was Last Call. They enjoyed themselves to the bitter end, waiting until the bartender kicked them out before they left. In the parking lot the men turned to Castiel. "Got somewhere to go tonight, Wings?"

"Yeah…" Castiel said, looking at the moon. "They're probably wondering where I am."

"It's a long way back to town." Big Jim said, stepping closer until he was pressing close to the angel. "Sure you wanna walk all the way there? I've got a room behind the bar. Nice warm bed too."

Castiel smiled. "That is very kind of you, but I must return to my friends."

Big Jim pressed a hand to Castiel's wrist. "You can 'return' in the morning. I'm _sure_ they won't mind. Besides, you can't walk all the way back there. Tell you what, I'll drive you back tomorrow." He grinned. "The nights still young, Wings. Come on back to my room. The boys and I can _guarantee_ you'll enjoy yourself."

"Thank you." Castiel said. "But my friends will be very worried if I don't come back."

The smile didn't fall off Big Jim's face, but it did fade. "Well, I ain't gonna force you, kid." He winked. "If you change your mind, you know where to find us." He clapped a hand to Castiel's arm and turned, walking to the corner of the bar, turning into the darkness and out of sight. Castiel smiled and headed back towards town.

Castiel stumbled gently along the road, his feet seeming to catch on every crack. He soon grew tired of catching himself and drifted across the street to walk along the sidewalk. He wasn't sure how long he was walking when he began to feel tired. He made it a few more blocks before he made his way over to a bus stop, sitting down gratefully.

He looked up and down the street with a frown. He had no idea how far away the motel was, and come to think of it, he had no idea what its name was, or for that matter, _where_ it was. He laughed to himself, too tired to care.

When he felt he'd regained some energy he stood up and kept on his way.

It was so interesting to see the differences of the town in the night. All the store fronts were dark and shadowed mannequins posed for no one. Everything seemed deserted. He could almost imagine the city was empty, save for him. He shivered at the thought and ducked his head, walking a little faster.

He felt he'd made good distance when exhaustion hit him again. The world seemed to tilt, and his head buzzed. He struggled to keep on his feet. He tried to shake it off, but he only made it a few more blocks before he ducked into an alley and settled himself on the ground in the darkness, panting as his stomach and brained battled each other, trying to figure out which way was up.

When his head cleared, he noticed something pressing hard and insistent against his thigh. Castiel digged in his pocket and found his phone. He turned it over in his hand, bemused; he'd forgotten he had it on him. Curiously, he pressed a small button and the screen illuminated, reveling that it was almost four in the morning, and that he had twenty-six missed calls.

Cas thought of Dean and smiled to himself, pulling up his number. His finger froze over the call button. It _was_ four in the morning after all. And Dean did usually struggle to sleep. He frowned, imagining Dean's face if he received a call informing him that the angel was lost.

He tucked the phone away.

He leaned back against the wall and thought. It was a nice night, maybe little chilly, but he'd been in worse conditions, and his coat did keep most of it out; he looked on the bright side, at least it wasn't raining. The alley was a little… filthy, but it was deserted, and the high walls of the buildings blocked a lot of the wind. He would call Dean tomorrow. Satisfied, Castiel pulled his jacket tightly against him and leaned back, deciding to let his body rest.

"So this is where you are, eh?" Castiel's head jerked up.

He couldn't recognize the body, but the voice was unmistakably Crowley.

"You know, I've got to say, I expected them to stab you in that bar. What did you do to keep them from it, I wonder?"

Castiel's eyes narrowed. "You were there?"

"Oh, yes." Crowley said, coming forward out of the shadows. To Castiel's surprise the demon sat down next to him, pressing their sides together. Castiel tried hard not to lean into his warmth. "I was wearing that pretty young woman. I think her name was Beatrice or something."

Castiel was confused. "Why didn't you show yourself sooner?"

"Honestly? I thought you were going to shack up with one of them." He grinned. "You should have seen what Big Jim had planned for you."

Castiel stared at him blankly.

"What, he didn't tell you? Didn't invite you back to his room?"

"Well, yes, but it was because he thought the town was a long ways away."

Crowley shook his head. "Oh, angel, you've got to get better at reading people." He cast Castiel a sidelong look. "Can't say I'm disappointed though."

"You're not disappointed to find me in this alley?"

"I'm not disappointed you're not handcuffed to Jim's bed."

"Handcuffed?"

Crowley waved a hand. "Details. I am curious as to what my little angel is doing in this alley though."

Castiel felt his face heat and he looked away.

Crowley grabbed his chin. "None of that. What are you doing here?"

Castiel scowled. "I was tired."

"That's it?"

"And…"

"_And_…"

"And maybe I don't remember where the motel is." Castiel growled.

Crowley laughed.

Castiel pushed his hand against the wall, propelling himself up. He grunted when Crowley grabbed his wrist and yanked him back down. "I didn't say you could leave." The demon said.

"I wasn't _asking_ if I could." Castiel snarled, tugging his arm out of Crowley's grasp. He tired not to look surprised when his hand came free easily. When Crowley made no move to grab him again, Castiel cautiously leaned back into the wall. "What do you even want?"

Crowley looked away, his eyes tracking the sky. "Let me take you home."

"Let you?"

Crowley nodded. "Let me."

"What will you do if I say no?"

Crowley smirked and settled himself against the wall, stretching his legs out and crossing his arms behind his head. "I've stayed in worse places."

Castiel laughed. "Who says I want you to stay?"

"Hm. Me." Crowley said.

Castiel sighed and shifted away from Crowley, pushing himself up onto his feet. Crowley watched him carefully, but made no move to stop him. On his feet, Castiel immediately stumbled, light headed, falling heavily against the wall.

"Does that mean you'll let me take you home?" Crowley asked.

"I suppose I don't have a choice."

Crowley was beside him in an instant, gently pulling Castiel off the wall and into his arms. "Let's go, then." He said.

Castiel's vision was going black, and the world was rushing in his ears, but he was certain the demon's tone was almost fond. "Okay." Castiel sighed, his arms finding their way around Crowley's neck.

As Crowley's hands folded across Castiel's back the air flooded out, and they were standing in the slightly warmed air of the Winchester's motel room.

Castiel sighed into Crowley's neck. He vaguely heard someone shout his name, and the answering rumble in Crowley's chest assured him that he didn't need to worry about answering. Someone, maybe Dean, asked, "Where'd you find him, what happened?"

"Oh, our boy decided to go to a biker bar. Exciting stuff."

"We checked the bars in town!"

"Ah, well this one was out of town." Crowley began walking him back towards a bed, swiftly working him out of his clothes. Castiel found he was too tired to care. "Maybe you shouldn't let him wander about on his own, hm? I might not always be there to watch him for you."

"Don't need to be watched out for." Castiel mumbled, sinking into the matrices.

"Of course you don't." Crowley said, drawing up the sheets. The demon snapped his fingers and the lights went out, then he rounded on the brothers. Castiel wanted to say something, stop him from yelling at the Winchester's for his own mistakes, but before he could utter a word Crowley turned and pointed a finger at him. "Sleep, angel." And all he could do was obey.

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